Outside cutting tool



Jan. 23, 1934. w, l.. CHURCH ET AL OUTSIDE CUTTING TOOLl M W f @L .4 Hrw/ M/ MM5 Patented Jan. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES OUTSIDE CUTTING TOOL- Walter L. Church Louis M. Pearce, and'v Jack K. Clark, Houston, Tex.

Application June 14, 1932. Serial No. 617,140y

8 Claims.

t This invention relates to an outside cutting ool.

An object of the invention is to provide a cutting tool of the character described adapted to 6 be lowered over a pipe stuck in a well bore and whereby a stuck pipe may be cut into sections and removed a section at a time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described equipped with inwardly working knives, or cutters and having cutter actuating means arranged to be supported on the pipe to be cut and whereby the cutters may be actuated into cutting relation with the pipe by the weight of the operating string.

Another object of the invention is to provideV in an outside pipe cutter, means for supporting the actuator on the pipe to be cut, said means being normally held retracted while the cutter is being lowered, and means for releasing said actuator supporting means whereby the latter may move into active position into engagement with a coupling or other external projection on the pipe to be cut.

A further object is to provide a cutter of the character described embodying an overshot for engagement with a severed section of pipe whereby said severed section may be withdrawn from the well.

Another object is to provide means for releasing the overshot in case the cut can not be completed and it is desired to remove the cutting tool from the well.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the cuttingtool partly in section and shown in inactive position.-

Figure 2 shows a side View thereof, partly in section and showing the tool in active or cutting position.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the actuator sleeve.

Figure 4 shows a cross sec-tional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 'designates a tubular cutter body which is attached to the lower end of the tubular operating string 2. Screwed into the lower end of the cutter body there is a reducing coupling 3 Whose upper end (Cl. 81--189).y

is provided with the clutch jaws 4.. The upper` end of the cutter body is inwardly thickened. forming the annular inside shoulder 5 and is also provided with the vertical slots 6 through which the cutters 7 work. The upper ends of these cutters are pivoted in said slots 6 and are' inwardly turned and formed with sharp cuttingV edges. Fitted within said cutter body there is a tubular actuator sleeve 8 and supported on the upper end of said sleeve there is a tubular cutter actuator 9 whose upper end is flared as at 10 to force the lower end of the cutters '7 inwardly, upon the relative downward movement of the body. The adjacent ends -of the sleeve 8 and actuator 9 have the annular grooves `11, 12 andV 13 having the inside annular ribs 14, 1.5 which project into said respective grooves said coupling 13 forming a connection between the'sleeve 8 and actuator 9 which permits their` relative rotation.

The lower end of the sleeve 8l has the clutch jaws 16 adapted to engage with the jaws 4 for. a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

The sleeve 8 has theupper and lower slots 17, 18 therein. Working through the slots 17 are the arms19, whose lower ends 'are pivoted to the sleeve 8 and working through'l the slots 18 are the arms 20 whose upper ends Vare pivoted, to said sleeve. y 1 Y I The body 1 has vertical slots 21 therein whose lower ends are enlarged as at 22 and attached to the lower ends of the'arms 20 are the screws or studs 23 which work throughrsaid slots'2l and whose outer ends Shave the enlarged heads 24 which hold the arms 20 in outer orl retracted position. rThere are the coil springs 25, 25 and 26, 26 which arev seated in suitable sockets in the actuator sleeve 8 and whose outer ends` press against the adjacent ends of the corresponding arms 19, 20, outside of the rpivotal support of said arms and these springs tend to hold the arms 19, 20 inwardly. l

When it is desired to make a cut, the tool is assembled as shown in Figure 1 and let down into the Well bore over the pipe 27 to be cut' and when the tool is located at the desired place where the cut is to be made it is then pulled upwardly and as it moves upwardly the arms 19 willV engage an outside coupling 28 of thepipe 2'7v and a continued upward pull willmove the'enlarged lower surrounding said adjacent ends there is av coupling ends 22 of the slots 21 into alignment with the heads 24 and thereupon the arms 20 will be moved by the springs 26 inwardly into active position and the tool isthen lowered until the arms 20 engage against the upper end of the external coupling 29 beneath on the pipe 27. The tool is then rotated and gradually lowered and the outer sloping faces 30 of the cutters 7 will ride against the corresponding ilared upper end 10 of the cutter actuator 9 and said cutters will be thereby gradually forced inwardly into cutting relation with the pipe 27 and the rotation and gradual lowering of the cutter is continued until the pipe 27 is severed. Thereupon the cutter may be elevated until the arms 19 again engage under the coupling 28 and the severed section may be pulled from the well.

If for any reason the cut can not be made and it is desired to withdraw the tool leaving the inside pipe 27 in the bore, the tool may be pulled upwardly and when the arms 19 engage a coupling 28 in withdrawing the tool the cutter may be rotated to the right. During this rotation the clutch jaws 16, 4 will have interengaged so that the actuator sleeve will also rotate and the upper ends of the arms 19 have the outwardly inclined teeth 30, which upon said rotation will carry the free ends of the arm 19 outwardly until they clear the coupling above and the tooll may be then drawn upwardly until the next succeeding coupling is engaged by the arms 19 and by rotating the tool as before, said arms 19 will be caused to release said coupling and so on until the tool has been withdrawn.

yThe drawing and description disclose what is now considered to `be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle ofthe invention will be dened by the appended claims.

What we claim is2- v 1. An outside pipe cutter comprising a tubular cutter body shaped to be lowered over a pipe to b e fcut, a cutter therein pivoted at its upper end, 40-

an actuator sleeve 'longitudinally movable in either direction in the body, a cutter actuator on said sleeve and adapted to .engage the cutter and to actuate the cutter inwardly, means on said sleeve normally interlocked with the body and maintained inactive, said means being releasable upon the downward movement of the actuator sleeve in .the Abody and upon such release being arranged to engage an external projection on the pipe to hold said sleeve and actuator stationary whereby said cutter is forced inwardly 'upon the downward movement of the body. I

V v2. An outside pipe cutter comprising an operating string, a cutter body attached thereto and shaped to be lowered over a pipe in a' well bore, a cutter pivoted at its upper end on said body and pointed downwardly, an actuator support long-itudinally movable in the body, a Cutter actuator on said support shaped to engage outside' of the lower end of said cutter and to actuate thecutter inwardly, means on the support normally heldin retracted, or inactive, position and, upon a relative upward movement of the body, being movable into active position to engagev an external projection on said pipe upon a subsequent downward movement Yof the body, to hold saidsupport and actuator againstl further downward movement wherebysaid cutter is actuated inwardly upon the further downward movement of the body and releasable means for holding said engaging means in saidY retracted position. l 3. An outside pipe cutter including atubu'lar cutter body adapted to be connectedk to an operating string-and shaped to be let down'over apipe in a well bore and having a slot, a cutter in said slot Ywhose upper end is pivoted therein and which is pointed downwardly, an actuator support movable longitudinally in the body, a cutter actuator on said support adapted to engage and move said cutter inwardly, inwardly movable supporting means on said actuator support, releasable means normally holding said supporting means retracted, or in outer position, means on said support engageable underneath an external projection on said string, upon upward movement of lsaid body,

tohold said support stationary upon such upward movement whereby the release of said supporting means is eiiected, means for moving said released supporting means inwardly into position to engage above an external projection on said pipe upon -downward movement of the body, and to hold said actuator support and actuator against downward movement whereby said actuator is rendered effective to actuate the cutter inwardly upon the further downward movement of said body.

4. An outside pipe cutter adapted `rto be connected to an operating string and including a" tubular body adapted to-pass over a pipe in a well and 'having longitudinal slots -spaced apart therearound, cutters whose upper ends are `pivoed in said slots and whose lower -ends are free and formed withcutting edges,-a cutter actuator in the body arranged to engage arou-nd'the `lower ends oi said cutters and actuate them inwardly upon the downward movement of the body relative to said actuator, supporting means rfor saidA actuator located in the body and having -a'swivelling connection with said actuator, upper` arms whose lower ends are -pivoted on said supporting means and whose upper ends are free, 'lower arms whose upper ends are pivoted on said supporting means a-nd Vwhose lower ends `are free, means normally tending to Vhold the free ends of said arms inwardly against said pipe, -means normally holding said lower armsV retracted and being releasable upon lthe upward movement of said body relative to said supporting means.

'5. An outside pipe cutter adapted :to '-be connected to an operating string and including a cutter body shaped to Ypass over a pipe in a fw'ell, a cutter'on said body, means in the body effective to actuate the cutter inwardly lupon downward movement lof said body relative to said actuating means, means for supporting said actuating means on said pipeduring such downward movement, a holding device normally engaged with the body and holding -said -supporting means in outer, or inactive position, said holding device being ar'- ranged to be released upon upward movement of the YbodyV relative to the supporting means.

6. An outside pipe cutter adapted to be con.- nected to an operating string and including a cutter body shaped to pass over a pipe in awell, a cutter on said body, means in the body eiective to actuate the cutter inwardly upon downward movement of said body relative to said actuating. means, meansV for supporting said actuating means on said pipe during such downward movement, releasable interlocking means effective to hold said supporting kmeans retracted and mea-ns engageable with the pipe and effective to release said interlocking means upon upward movement of the body whereby saidsupporting vmeans is permitted io move into said supporting, .0r active, position and means for effecting, such .movement of said holding means.

7. An outside .pipe cutter includingv a tubular cutter body adapted to oe attached to anoperating string and shaped .tou be passed over a, pipe in a well bore, 'means inthe body for severing said iso pipe by the rotation of said body, said severing means being normally inactive, an overshot in the body having means engageable with a projection on the pipe and operable thereby to actuate the severing means into engagement with the pipe, said overshot also having means engageable underneath an outside projection on said pipe whereby a section of said pipe, when severed, may be removed from the well, said overshot being shaped to release said projection upon rotation thereof and interlocking means arranged to be relatively moved into position to interlock the overshot for rotation with the body upon upward movement of said body.

8. An outside pipe cutter adapted to be connected to an operating string and including a cutter body shaped to passv over a pipe in the Well, a cutter on said body, means in the body effective to actuate the cutter inwardly upon downward movement of said body relative to the actuating means, means for supporting said actuating means on the pipe during such downward movement, a holding device normally engaged with the body and maintaining the supporting means in inactive position -and means engageable wth the pipe and eiective to cause the release of the holding device upon upward movement of the body relative to the supporting means.

WALTER L. CHURCH. LOUIS M. PEARCE. JACK K. CLARK. 

